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Associated Press

FAIRBANKS- Firefighters are now joining police when responding to calls about intoxicated people in Fairbanks.

The shift in policy took effect Tuesday.

Under the old policy, firefighters only responded when intoxicated people were unconscious or unable to get up.

The new policy gives firefighters the added responsibility of being the first responders in situations where walking, talking drunk people might need to be transported to the Fairbanks Correctional Center sleep-off facility.

Police Chief Laren Zager and Mayor Jerry Cleworth support the policy. But rank-and-file firefighters say driving potentially hostile people to the sleep-off facility falls outside their training and job description.